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Describing the sound of Sacred Harp singing can be difficult. Arcane, otherworldly, and overwhelming, it’s a unique a cappella form of shape note Christian hymn singing that was born in England in the 18th century, but took root in the American south. It’s not something you listen to so much something as experience.
This week on Transmissions, host Jason P. Woodbury speaks with Matt Hinton. Along with his wife, Erica Hinton, he’s the director of the 2006 documentary Awake, My Soul: The Story of The Sacred Harp; in 2025, the duo returned to the film, remastering it and crafting a full update. This month, the film is screening in the Los Angeles area, including showings in Glendale, and Santa Monica, at the Laemmle Glendale, Laemmle Royal, and the Monica Film Center.
Sacred Harp utilizes a shape note system, in which shapes—triangles, circles, squares, and diamonds—are paired with syllables—fa, sol, la, and mi—to represent the notes in the traditional scale. Awake, My Soul explores the culture that centers around this form of communal worship, and invites viewers into this strange musical world.
In addition to his work as a documentarian, Matt Hinton is a musician himself. He’s a member of the rock band Luxury, which features three Orthodox priests. He made a film about that group too, the 2019 movie Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury.
Though the soundtrack for Awake, My Soul, as well as a companion disc, Help Me to Sing: Songs of the Sacred Harp, featuring John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Danielson, Richard Buckner, The Innocence Mission, author Rick Moody, and more, have long been out of print, they returned to streaming last month as the film celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Join us this episode as we dig into the nature of communal singing, folk traditions, and the mysteries of sacred sound.
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